Within the last few days I have mapped a golf course and added a veterinary surgery.
As you zoom out of the map the golf course disappears, while other golf courses are still visible! Also the poi I added is not appearing at any level.
Why?

Have a look at http://help.openstreetmap.org/ where you’ll find this answer has been asked (and answered) a zillion times. Roughly: zoom levels update at different times, your browser might have the old tiles cached, and not everything is rendered on the default map anyway.

Have a look at openstreetmap? I’m sick of looking at openstreetmap. The reason openstreetmap is a zillion (as you put it) years behind countries like Germany is it is so bloody confusing to most here. I have shown openstreetmap and Potlatch to a few friends colleagues etc and it’s the same reaction everytime ‘I like the map but I would get bored doing that (Potlatch) it looks too complicated’! At the end of the day I have really tried to do my bit with it but I am getting towards the end of my tether. As far as I’m concerned sarcastic answers dont help people who are trying - they just get fed up and ‘do one’. I have tried various forums, mailing lists etc, asked questions and it’s always the same old story - not many people from the UK use this forum - I wonder why? The long and short of it is - people need encouragement and lots of help, and not everyone wants to go and look at openstreetmap.org.
People starting out with this need things explaining, anyone and his dog can go to openstreetmap.org but its no good if it all looks Chinese.
I have completed over 260 edits so far and the nearest 260 odd people to me have probably not done 260 odd edits between them - what does that tell you?
This service relies on people like me, you only have to look at the area I live in to see how poor the map was before I started.
I can download an updated map from a website where I am a paid subscriber, I do not have to take no further part in the editing side of things, but I do enjoy doing my bit, but it’s times like this I find myself thinking ‘why should I bother’.

Blimey, someone clearly needs more coffee. Or less coffee. Or something.

If you reread my answer, I actually said “have a look at help.openstreetmap.org”, which is the interactive help system where you’d have found the answer to your question.

I’m really not quite sure what you mean by “OpenStreetMap is a zillion years behind countries like Germany”. OpenStreetMap in Germany is great. OpenStreetMap in Britain is pretty good too. Both countries still have lots to do.

As for the editor - there’s a new one coming on-stream real soon now which is aimed to be easier for the novice.

I’m an unpaid volunteer like you. In my previous reply I was trying to point you to the place where you’ll find the answer to the question, and give you a quick summary to explain. But if the response is 300 words of yelling I guess I’ll leave answering your second question to someone else.

Your golf course you did seems to be visible on zoom level 13 but not 12 and beyond.

I know that these sort of zoom levels it can take weeks and maybe months before they appear. This is frustrating when you add large areas like woods, golf courses, etc.

For the vets I don’t think currently they display on the map. I am looking at the helping with the new updated design of the map which hopefully be included on the main map. I’ll add vets to the list of things that need to be rendered. Generally the adding of new features rendered to the map has slowed (stopped) over the last few years, Things do more slowly on openstreetmap. Hopefully in the near future this will change or I might “do one” too. ;)

Regarding the other issues. Personally I can see it can be confusing with all the different communication channels, forums, mailing lists, personal messages, the help message board at help.openstreetmap.org, the user diaries, most with different registrations/logins.

I don’t mind where you post I will try and answer when I see it - I actually like the user diaries for commenting/asking/answering question.

There is a new editor iD http://ideditor.com/ is coming soon. That is designed to address some of the issues that you may have with Potlatch. But some people do like potlatch others, myself included, like a more detailed editor like JOSM http://josm.openstreetmap.de/ but it is horses for courses.

It is a shame in your area (I read the previous diary posts before) there are not that many active mappers. It is fairly typical that many area have only 1 or two key mappers but sometimes others mappers do come and go. Some post every couple of months, etc.

Hope that helps. If you have more question just ask or send me a message.

Thank you
I do enjoy adding/editing, thanks to your answer I understand a little bit more, it took a while to understand Potlatch, it’s very good and I know enough to get by!
Everyones computer skill levels are different, unfortunately or fortunately as the case may be I dont have chance to sit in front of a computer screen all day, I am a Joiner/Carpenter and I know people who’s computer skills take them all over the world but they cant put a shelf up :) I will keep batting on.
Thank you